Top 5 players Arsene Wenger signed in the Emirates era

#2 Mesut Ozil

When Mesut Ozil arrived at Arsenal in 2013, Arsenal had not just gotten hold of a world-class playmaker. By paying a then club-record fee, Arsenal had sent out a message to all its rivals that it could compete on the financial front again.

Ozil started off with a bang providing the first assist for the club against Sunderland. He quickly found his goal scoring boots with a brace against Norwich City to go with his sumptuous strike against Napoli. In his first season, Arsenal were atop the Premier League table till Christmas. However, a capitulation followed and they could not hold on to their lead at the perch of the table.

With only 37 goals in his Arsenal career, critics have argued that he needs to score more often. But he offsets that by creating an extraordinary amount of chances for his teammates. In addition to the 71 assists in his bag, he has also created 61 ‘big chances’ or clear-cut goal scoring opportunities.

Ozil has been a part of three FA Cup victories and has been crucial for the Gunners. He is the creator-in-chief for Arsenal and has been able to conjure magic on a lot of occasions. Though a lot of criticism is aimed at his languid style and his body language, Ozil has the stats in his favour to keep the critics off his heels. One should not forget that Ozil is the quickest ever to 50 Premier League assists.

The signing of Ozil gave Arsenal fans a reason to be excited about the transfer window again. It enabled the Gooners to believe that the glory days could be around the corner. Although not everything has gone to script, Ozil has been popping up with assists on a regular basis. It is for these reasons that he finds himself as one of the top two Wenger signings in the Emirates era.